“Spider-Verse” Helmer To Tackle “Puss in Boots 2”

Following their Oscar win for the best-animated film of the year with “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” that movie’s co-director Bob Persichetti has signed on to direct the next installment of “Puss in Boots” at DreamWorks Animation.

The new film, a follow-up to the Oscar-nominated “Shrek” franchise spin-off which was released in 2011 and grossed more than $550 million worldwide, will be familiar territory for Persichetti who served as the Head of Story on and voiced a role in the original.

Persichetti is a veteran of animation for more than two decades with his work including being an ‘inbetweener’ on “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “Mulan” and “Tarzan,” story art on “Shrek 2” and “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit,” and serving as head of story on both “The Little Prince” and the upcoming “Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”.

Producer Latifa Ouaou will oversee development of the sequel on behalf of Illumination Entertainment and Chris Meledandri who will work closely with the DWA leadership team. No release date has been set.